The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
‘Patients suffered to meet targets’
Follow-up appointments deliberately delayed – claim
Patients suffered “serious, irreversible and avoidable harm” because follow-up out-patient appointments were “deliberately” delayed to meet targets, a former NHS Highland neurologist has claimed.
Dr Bethany Jones, who resigned in 2013 over allegations of “managerial mismanagement”, has backed calls for an independent inquiry to be carried out after whistleblowers came forward alleging a “conduct of bullying and harassment” at the health authority.
Dr Jones, 50, who now works in New Zealand, told The Press and Journal: “Physicians were sidelined and ignored when highlighting patient safety concerns caused by a focus on target-driven medicine.
“Back in early 2011, during a hospital physician staff meeting, a specific group of consultants highlighted the risks of giving new patients sole priority over follow-up patients.
“Against their request patient follow-up appointments were postponed by senior managers in order to meet targets.”
She added: “The physicians had meticulously gone through their follow-up lists and were clearly distraught to discover eight patients who had suffered serious, irreversible and avoidable harm due to the fact that their follow-up appointments had been delayed.
“The response from the senior hospital management was that targets simply needed to be met and they closed the matter with no further discussion possible.”
Her criticism comes in response to four senior clinicians highlighting the “longstanding culture of bullying and harassment” by senior managers at NHS Highland.
Dr Jones said: “I would agree that this culture not only has had a detrimental effect on staff wellbeing but has also impacted on the quality of patient care.
“I fully support the call for an external, independent public inquiry into this matter.
“Like many of my colleagues I chose to resign from the NHS Highland as a direct consequence of the managerial mismanagement and would advise to include the many ex-staff members in any inquiry.”
She added: “Ongoing communication with my ex-colleagues over the years confirms matters have continued to deteriorate.
“It is truly heartbreaking to see patients and highly dedicated staff suffer under such mismanagement.”
Gavin Smith, of the GMB union, said: “This is more evidence backing up the culture the whistleblowers have raised.
“There is a large number of staff coming forward with evidence of bullying and harassment.
“The only way for the situation to be resolved is for an independent external inquiry.”
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP and shadow health minister David Stewart said: “It’s very distressing to hear these claims, especially when it’s alleged that patients suffered due to missed follow-up checks. Bullying and harassment have no place in the NHS and if it is proved that patients have suffered that’s a damning indictment of internal relations.”
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “The board recognises the importance of timely review from a patient safety basis in some situations.
“Return outpatient performance is for that reason regularly reported to the Board Clinical Governance committee and the operational unit quality and patient safety committees.”
She added that the organisation “does not tolerate bullying and harassment behaviours”.
She added: “The board takes such allegations extremely seriously and any complaints made will be fully investigated through appropriate procedures.”
“Serious, irreversible, avoidable harm”